Bullet trapping assemblage



Feb. Z5, 1964 v. F. DALE 3,122,367

BULLET TRAPPING ASSEMBLAGE Filed Jan. 30, 1961 im "l i mi |11.. W4 1u' i l #Il WMM', will] mi. W. Jl) h IN VEN TOR.

V. F. DA L E ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,232,357 BULLET TRAPPING ASSEMBLAGE Vernon Ff. Dale,J nalaska, Wis. Filed Jan. 30, 1%1, Ser. No. 85,890 3 Claims. (Cl. 273-1614) The present invention relates in general to improvements in bullet trapping assemblages, and it relates more specifically to improvements in the construction of devices especially adapted to trap steel balls or BBs.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved trap assemblage which can be used with utmost safety.

When using traps for the reception of small caliber hard shot or bullets, considerable danger is encountered due to ricochetting or rebounding of the bullets after they have penetrated the target sheet. This is especially true when steel BBS which are not capable of distorting upon striking the target structure are utilized, and which are therefore highly susceptible of ricochetting from hard surfaces. While devices for preventing such danger have heretofore been proposed, none has proven entirely satisfactory either because of their ineiiicienc, complicated construction, or the fact that the spent bullets such as BBs could not be effectively gathered for reuse.

It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide an improved trap structure which is simple and highly etiicient in avoiding objectionable ricochetting.

Another more specic object of the invention is to provide a safe trapping device especially adapted for use with small caliber steel bullets or BBs.

A further specific object of this invention is to provide a compact but sturdy trap unit capable of effectively trapping spent shot or BBs, and which may be used without danger for target practice both indoors and outdoors.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive trap assemblage for use with small arms ammunition such as BBs, which will automatically collect the spent bullets in good condition for reuse and which can be readily reconditioned for repeated usage.

These and other more specific objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description:

A clear conception of the features constituting the present improvement, and of the construction and mode of utilizing a trap embodying the invention, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification, wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views.

FIG. l is a front elevational view of a typical small arms bullet trap assemblage involving the invention, a portion of the structure having been broken away in order to reveal internal normally concealed parts;

FIG. 2 is a transverse vertical section taken through the bullet trapping assemblage of FIG. 1, along the line 2-2g and FIG. 3 is a front and side perspective view of the same bullet trapping unit with a portion broken away to show the relative positions of internal structure.

While the invention has been shown and described herein as having been embodied in a unit comprising a particular type of a target sheet and bullet collecting means, it is not intended to restrict the improvements to such structural details; and it is also contemplated that specific descriptive terms employed herein be given the broadest possible interpretation consistent with the disclosure.

Generally defined, the present invention involves the provision of a bullet trap comprising a bullet penetrable 3,lZZ,367 Patented Feb. 25, 1964 ICC retarding curtain interposed between but spaced from a bullet penetrable target sheet and an impact absorbing impenetrable rear closure for the trap casing, and wherein the latter is formed to prevent excessive rebound of the spent bullets which have passed through the curtain and to drop these bullets out of the ring line.

Referring to the drawing, the typical trap assembly shown therein by way of illustration, comprises in general a main casing consisting of opposite side walls 6 interconnected at their lower and upper ends respectively by bottom and top plates 7, S, but having front and rear openings; means such as a clamp 9 for detachably suspending a bullet penetrable target sheet 10 within the front casing opening; a closure 11 formed of impact absorbing bullet resistant flexible material such as relatively heavy fabric spanning the rear casing opening; and a replaceable bullet penetrable layer of wrapping paper l2 or the like interposed between but spaced from the target sheet 16 and the rear closure ll, and spanning the casing interior.

The casing may be formed of sheet metal or other rigid material and the metal frame should be located out of the normal line of lire directed toward the target, and the rear edges of the side walls 6 should be tapered so as to hold the fabric closure l stretched taut and in downwardly and rearwardly inclined position across the rear casing opening, as shown in FIG. 2. The bottom plate 7 may be provided with a laterally inclined bullet receiving recess 14 located beneath the covering 11 in open communication with the space between this covering and the layer 12, and the groove 14 communicates with a bullet receptacle 15 through an opening 16 in the adjacent side wall 6 of the casing.

The top and bottom plates 8, 7 of the casing are provided with horizontal slots 17, 18, respectively, which are alined with vertical grooves 19 formed in the side Walls 6, and the layers l2 of paper or the like may be slid either in the form of individual sheets or as successive sections of a continuous sheet into the casing interior through the upper slot 17 so as to coact with the grooves 19 and slot 1S and to provide a bullet penetrable diaphragm completely spanning the interior of the rigid casing. The top plate S also supports the target clamp casing 9 and a suspension arm Ztl may also be provided.

When using the improved bullet trapping unit or assemblage, the casing should rst be provided with an impact absorbing closure 11 and with a rebound preventing curtain or layer l2, whereupon it may be mounted upon a lower support or suspended from above with the aid of the arm 20. A bullet penetrable target sheet containing one or more target indicia A, B, C, etc., as shown in FIGS. l and 3, may then be suspended in upright position across the front casing opening with the aid of the clamp 9 whereupon the assemblage is ready for use.

When bullets are subsequently fired at the target, they will penetrate the sheet 10 and will pass through the curtain l2 and strike the flexible rear covering 11 which will absorb the impact and allow most of the spent bullets to drop directly by gravity into the inclined lower recess 14. If the impact has not been completely absorbed by the ilexible covering il, some of the bullets may rebound mildly against the rear of the taut curtain 12 whereupon they will also drop into the recess 14, and all of the spent bullets will roll by gravity along this recess and will be delivered through the opening 16 into the collecting receptacle 15 from which they may be withdrawn for reuse.

After the target has been in use for some time and the target sheet lt) has been punctured sufficiently, both this sheet and the layer l2 should be replaced for subsequent use. When utilizing steel shot or bullets, these will not become marred or distorted by the sheet 10, layer 12 or r; by the flexible covering 11 so that the bullets may be reused for further target practice. However, these elements eiiectively trap the bullets and eliminate ricochetting thus providing utmost safety, and the cost of reconditioning the target for successive usage is very modest.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention:

I claim:

1. A target and bullet trap comprising, a casing having opposite side walls interconnected by bottom and top walls to provide 'front and rear openings, a bullet penetrable target sheet detachably mounted on said casing in approximately vertical position within said front casing opening, a downwardly and rearwardly inclined closure sheet of exible bullet impact-absorbing material closing said rear casing opening, a buer sheet of bullet penetrable material mounted within and spanning the interior of said casing between and in spaced relation relative to both said target sheet and said rear cover, and means forming a laterally inclined trough at the bottom of said casing between said buer sheet and said rear closure i sheet for receiving and conducting spent bullets from the casing interior to one side thereof, said trough terminating at its lower end in a bullet collecting receptacle located exteriorly of the adjacent casing side wall.

2. A target and bullet trap according to claim l, wherein the buffer sheet is readily insertable and removable through a slot formed in one of the casing Walls.

3. A target and bullet trap according to claim 2, wherein the butler sheet is also supported in approximately vertical position within the casing so as to lie approximately parallel to the target sheet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS 883,077 Baker Mar. 24, 1908 2,069,822 Douglas Feb.9, 1937 2,535,280 Gartrell Dec. 26, 1950 2,815,955 Dear Dec. 10, 1957 OTHER REFERENCES American Riiieman, December 1959, volume 107, No. l2, page 65 cited.

Detroit Bullet Trap, November 1956, scaled schematic drawing, I. Nikoden, Northville, Michigan. 

1. A TARGET AND BULLET TRAP COMPRISING, A CASING HAVING OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS INTERCONNECTED BY BOTTOM AND TOP WALLS TO PROVIDE FRONT AND REAR OPENINGS, A BULLET PENETRABLE TARGET SHEET DETACHABLY MOUNTED ON SAID CASING IN APPROXIMATELY VERTICAL POSITION WITHIN SAID FRONT CASING OPENING, A DOWNWARDLY AND REARWARDLY INCLINED CLOSURE SHEET OF FLEXIBLE BULLET IMPACT-ABSORBING MATERIAL CLOSING SAID REAR CASING OPENING, A BUFFER SHEET OF BULLET PENETRABLE MATERIAL MOUNTED WITHIN AND SPANNING THE INTERIOR OF SAID CASING BETWEEN AND IN SPACED RELATION RELATIVE TO BOTH SAID TARGET SHEET AND SAID REAR COVER, AND MEANS FORMING A LATERALLY INCLINED TROUGH AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID 